The Vietnam Fisheries Association has denounced Chinese ships for obstructing the rescue of Vietnamese fishermen and attacking Vietnam’s fishing vessels.

In a recent statement sent to the Government Office, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Party Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations, the association said the actions are inhuman and violate the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Vietnam’s rescue vessel SAR 142 was blocked by a Chinese ship while it was on the way to save a distressed fisherman on fishing boat QNa 90927 TS near Tri Ton Island of Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago of Vietnam.

After picking up the fisherman in distress, the rescue vessel was again obstructed and attacked by a Chinese naval ship while it was crossing Tri Ton Island to the mainland.

Earlier, Vietnamese fishing vessel BD 96680 TS was attacked by a Chinese coast guard ship while it was fishing at 15 degrees of the north latitude and 112 degrees east longitude in Vietnam’s Hoang Sa waters.-VNA